Chapter 29: The True and False of This Cat; True and False Youyou, True and False Brother Part 1

Under the gaze of one cat and one man, Qi Yu was stunned for a moment before he smiled. “Your cat looks like it’s reached mating age.”

He glanced at the cat’s raised tail and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “This little cutie hasn’t been neutered either, and its strength seems pretty good. Has it gone into heat before?”

Li Ye said nothing as his gaze slowly returned to the cat.

Li You hung his head, his mind full of “pretty strong.” He shook his head vigorously a few times, instinctively tucking his butt deeper away while muttering under his breath and screaming inwardly.

【What the heck?!】

【What is all this?!】

【Cats go into heat!! Cats can go into heat?!】

【…Wait, cats do go into heat.】

【Nooo, don’t wanna, don’t wanna!!】

His inner thoughts raced, but all that came out was pursed lips making “woo woo” sounds. His dazed expression looked super stable, but inside, everything was falling apart.

“You see, it’s rubbing against your face, licking and even nibbling—it looks just like marking territory.” Qi Yu had his backpack slung over one arm, his hands clasped behind his back. “I did some research before, though I don’t remember it all now. This should be a sign of heat, probably.”

【No, that’s not it. I just wanted to comfort my brother a bit.】

The cat looked at General Qi, trying to stop him from continuing with pitiful eyes.

“During heat, male cats mark with their scent, yowl to call for females, get irritable and want to go out, or lose their appetite—that’s how Starnet explains it.” Qi Yu looked at the ragdoll cat in Li Ye’s arms. “The symptoms aren’t obvious now. Maybe I’m overthinking it.”

【You’re overthinking it!】

【I’m fine, totally fine!!】

【I eat great—a whole big bowl of cat food, and I finished it all!!】

Li Ye lowered his eyes and looked at the pink little outfit on the cat that was about to burst at the seams.

The clothes were quite crude, sewn neatly with needle and thread, but the size wasn’t quite right. The cat’s belly and fur squeezed several small holes in the seams, making it look quite bloated.

Li Ye placed his palm on the cat’s belly and rubbed it twice. It was soft and warm.

“His appetite seems pretty good,” Li Ye said.

The cat tilted its head up at Li Ye. “Meow—”

Qi Yu thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. “That’s true. This morning, that little piggy cat slowly finished such a big bowl of cat food. Appetite looks good.”

The little piggy cat in question: “…”

The journey to the laboratory was not short. Their goal was to arrive before nightfall.

Li You couldn’t speak human words, but he could understand them. Along the way, he listened intently to his brother and General Qi’s conversation. Though the two didn’t talk much, every word was to the point, without a single bit of fluff.

“By ancient Earth timekeeping, I’ve already stayed in Kailenoa District for three hundred thirty-five days and nights. This place has blood-red skies during the day and black at night. The eastern region has a large number of A-grade crystals. During the day, you can see Prime Star City in that mirror-like celestial body in the sky. At night, the gravity strengthens here, making the Abyss pollutants more restless.”

Qi Yu thought for a moment and added, “I discovered that abandoned laboratory over two hundred days ago. There were no humans left inside by then, but it was undoubtedly built by humans.”

“No remains found?” Li Ye asked.

Qi Yu shook his head. “None. Maybe they didn’t die of natural causes, starvation, or illness. Perhaps mutant species ate them bones and all?”

Li Ye pondered and looked toward the massive celestial body in the blood-red sky, emanating a white halo, where blurry city shadows could be seen.

The daytime gravity was indeed much lower. The restless factors in his body had calmed a lot, but at night…

“Your Highness, how did you and your cat get here?” Qi Yu asked at this point.

Li You in Li Ye’s arms twisted his head and looked up. “Meow.”

“A mirror,” Li Ye said as he rubbed the cat’s head. “High-tier mutant species.”

“That’s quite a coincidence. Me too.” Qi Yu gave a wry smile. “Not long ago, I was on a mission at the empire’s edge. You probably remember—it was to drive off interstellar pirates near Anjiel Star. After the mission, I was staying temporarily on Anjiel Star on my way back when I encountered a mirror in my room that night. I touched it, and here I was.”

Li You was shocked. Wasn’t that exactly how they had come?

“High likelihood it’s man-made,” Li Ye said.

“You mean…” Qi Yu was stunned.

“Someone deployed the ‘mirror.’” Li Ye continued, “Years ago, the target was you. This time, it’s me.”

“Why though?” Qi Yu was a bit confused, his expression turning serious in an instant. “Could there be a traitor in the empire? Trying to stir up internal chaos?”

“Can’t rule it out.” Li Ye’s reaction was quite calm.

“…” Qi Yu frowned and said in a low voice, “Now that you’ve been dragged here too, doesn’t that make the empire very dangerous right now?”

Li Ye glanced at him and withdrew his gaze. “You seem to underestimate Peisengke and Kris.”

Qi Yu was taken aback and chuckled. “I was overly worried.”

He suddenly fell silent and stopped talking.

Li You looked over, feeling a bit sour inside. The cat thought for a moment, placed his front paws on Li Ye’s chest, stretched his body toward Qi Yu, and called out in a soft, thin voice. “Meow woo—”

Qi Yu looked over, dazed for a moment, a gentle smile coloring his face. He reached out to cover the cat’s forehead and pet it. “Want me to hold you for a bit?”

Li Ye considered for several seconds before handing the cat over.

“Meow!” The cat’s paws stepped on Qi Yu’s arm as he tilted his head up, comforting Qi Yu in the same way he had comforted Li Ye—the best way a cat could show comfort. He rubbed General Qi’s face with his nose, pressed his cheek against the other’s face, thinking to himself.

【This world can’t be without kitty.】

【Yeah, this world can’t be without the kind Youyou either.】

At that thought, he suddenly froze, muttering inwardly.

【No.】

【Li You is already gone…】

Li Ye beside him frowned, then suddenly heard the cat correct himself inwardly.

【No, that’s not right either.】

【Your Highness Youyou is everywhere!】

Li Ye’s brows relaxed, but his gaze fixed straight on his cat sprawled on Qi Yu, expression calm, emotions probably calm, mood perhaps also calm.

He withdrew his gaze and looked ahead. “By Prime Star time, you’ve been missing for about half a year. Peisengke searched for you for half a year.”

Qi Yu lowered his eyes. “Looks like time in Kailenoa flows faster than on Prime Star.”

He was quiet for a moment, his voice carrying a bitter laugh even to himself. “Is he doing okay?”

“Doing great.” Li Ye was watching the cat. “Work and searching for you, neither neglected. Puts on a show of not caring in front of me.”

He raised his eyes to Qi Yu, seeing the gauntness from prolonged exhaustion on that face. “His trash talk has improved a lot.”

“Fitting for him.” Qi Yu smiled.

Words grew fewer along the journey. They arrived at the abandoned laboratory ten kilometers away just before nightfall.

Li Ye pried open the welded-shut door. Once the rust smell and dust had dissipated somewhat, they entered.

“I’ll go check if the power system can be fixed.” Qi Yu handed the cat back to Li Ye. Before turning, he glanced at the thick iron door Li Ye had torn open.

“You go ahead. I’ll handle the door,” Li Ye said as he cradled the cat in one arm. He turned, used his other hand to lift the fallen door, and fitted it back into the frame.

A little black snake crawled out from his sleeve. The little monster climbed the doorframe, wrapped around it, and as its smooth surface heated up, the iron melted.

The molten iron fused, welding solidly to the frame. The little monster shrank back immediately.

The door was thus welded shut as good as new.

The cat watched with his mouth agape.

It could be done like that??

Li You clawed at his brother’s clothes with both paws, looked down at the little black coiled on the other arm, and scooted his butt a bit farther away.

Li Ye glanced at the cat and withdrew the black snake into his sleeve.

While Qi Yu went to fix the power system, Li Ye took the cat deeper into the laboratory to survey the environment.

He illuminated the path ahead with the light from his light brain, carrying the cat as they went inside.

The farther in they went, the heavier the undissipated rust smell became. Li You narrowed his eyes into slits, pursed his lips, and buried his face fiercely into his brother’s chest, taking a deep breath.

【Mmm, saved.】

【Brother smells so good.】

Li Ye saw the cat’s tail swaying gently, then looked at its ears pressed against him, the tips slightly flattened.

He tucked the cat into his military jacket and quickened his pace a bit.

Passing through the iron corridor, they reached the interior—a semicircular experimental operation area with a semicircular lab bench and a massive screen that was mostly shattered.

There were many adjacent rooms. Li Ye checked them one by one.

Living quarters, bathroom, storage room, even a kitchen station—all fully equipped, just covered in thick dust that would take time to clean.

He came to an empty room, cleared a spot, set the cat down, removed his military jacket, folded it neatly, and placed the cat on it. After a moment’s thought, he decided not to remove the cat’s ugly little outfit for now—it could still serve to keep out sand and dust.

Li You watched his brother bustle about cleaning the room, paws tucked as he buried his face in his brother’s jacket.